Strawberry-cultivator



(No Model.)

I. D. CARPENTER.

STRAWBERRY CULTIVRTOR, Re.

No. 439,474. Patented Oct. 28, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC D. CARPENTER, OF DIX, ILLINOIS.

STRAWBERRY-CU LTIVATOR, 84C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,474, dated October 28, 1890. Application tiled June 11,1890. Serial No.355,074. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, ISAAC D. CARPENTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at DiX, in the county of Jefferson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Strawberry-Cultivators and Runner Self-Turners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable `others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the cultivation of the strawberry-plant in particular, and will be well adapted to the cultivating of any of the plants which are cultivated in rows, and which, like the strawberry, have the habit of producing vines or runners that spread in all directions over the spaces between the rows until they interlace and render it troublesome and expensive to cultivate the crop while preserving the vines or runners, as must necessarily be done.

As is well known to those skilled in strawberry culture on a large scale, in starting a new field the plants are first set in rows four feet apart, and the plants set from fourteen to twenty inches apart in the row. It is desired that these first-set plants should increase and multiply until the row is com pactly iilled in its longitudinal direction first, and then the row should gradually be made to spread laterally or widen out by carefully taking up the runners, which naturally shoot across the spaces between the rows and set or take root and form a new plant at each of its joints, and moving them alongside of the rows where they originated, so that they may inimediately take new root and increase the width of the rows and narrow the spaces between the rows at pleasure. This method of taking up these runners and moving them from their positions across the spaces between the rows requires repeating as often as every two to three weeks during the whole season that the vines are growing, as this is the only means of quickly producing a fullbearing field of strawberries, and the only means of clearing the spaces between rows, so that they may be cultivated.

yMy invention enables the work indicated to be done by horsepower instead of by hand, and thus not only save the labor and expense heretofore incurred, but also to expedite the operation and to overcome the difficulties mentioned and accomplish the objects specified.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter particularly describcdand claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, and in which- Figure l is a side elevation looking at the beam or row side of the cultivator. Fig. 2 is a side elevation looking at the harrow or furrow side, and Fig. 3 a plan View of the same.

In the drawings, the letter A designates a beam provided with the clevis Band handles C, whose connection to the beam is strengthened by the upright bar C. To one side of the beam is located a frame provided with a series of curved teeth with their points set at an angle to the length of the beam with the front or advance tooth located so as to pass under and lift the outer end of the laterally-extending ruimer, and the tooth back of it will pass under and lift the runner at a point nearer the row, and the third tooth will pass under and'lift the portion of the-runner still nearer the row, and so on, through the desired number of teeth. Then followsanother tooth, preferably straighter than the teeth which precede it, and which tooth may be perfectly straight and located outside the line of plows which follow, so as to turn or move the runners outside of the way of the plows and allow the plows to throw the dirt or soil up against the runners or their roots close t0 the side of the row. Such are the general features of construction, and they lift and turn the runners parallel with the row and furnish earth or soil to cover and nourish the plants where the runners will take root.

The preferred details of construction are as follows: The frame is composed of two parts D and E, suitably hinged togetherwsay at their meeting or adjacent ends-by plates F, to which the ends will be pivoted or swiveled, if the frame is made of wood; but if the frame is made of iron, which is preferred, then the ends simply lap and hinge with a bolt, the rear section E, preferably, being longer IOO ' nectin g-platezare perforated, andV pins yK, pass-v than the front section D. The sections will be of any desired material-say three by four inch oak, or of bar-iron two inches wide by five-eighths of an inch thick-and of any desired length; the front section, say, about one foot six inches and the rear section about two feet long. The front sectiony will carry the curved teeth G, which may be of steel and any desired length, a good length being about twelve inches and the teeth being of a strength sufficient to turn the earth as ordinary cultivator-teeth. These teeth are curved at their lower ends-andv set with their points at an angle, preferably, of about twenty degrees to `the length of the beam A. The curve to the teeth will, if the runner has taken root, lift it up and :detachthe roots and .lay it along side the row. '.withouthinjury to the plant. The

rearsectionE carriesthe -tooth H, which has but `little .curve or is'comparatively straight,

andxalsothe plows L The lower portionv of the tooth H1 is outside 4the line that will be covered by the furrows of the plows to the i rear thereof, .and vwill completeethe .operation of turning the runnersiout-.ofJt-he way-of lthe plows which ifollow. AThese .plows-will run comparatively close. to the sidei of the rows and throw up the dirt or soil around: the roots of the plants and the turned runners, so as to cover and. protectthe same.

Theffronteand frear .sections of.l the frame are preferablyset at an oblique an gle to each I other,:'as, shown', so that the runners lcan be the "better liftedand'v turned, as described,

andthe soilplowed--Iand .the earth thrown, as-` hereinbefore indicated.. .The obliquity'of the ably *of the `elliptical form illustrated, yand also `connects the frame .to the beam as well` as supports the beam. The ends of this coning through V,the section' of the'frameif of Woodyorover its top if of iron, and entering"A said-pe`rforations, hold the frame to the plate,

and by shifting the pin from one perforation to another either yone or both the sections D and Elmay be changedio the angle desired, so as `torset the teeth or the plows, orwboth, at different anglesvtof'the lengthof the rows.

TheLbeamiA islconnected toV the platef J through 'ai standard L, which passes throughl a slot'M, madeinthe beam, if of wood, or if iron, then ythe standard Lis slotted, and'whichis providedfwith a series of perforations O, so thatra pin P,passingvthrongh the beam, may enter anyone of' said .perforations and thus hold the beam at the adjustment desired mittingV the necessarymovement of the beamto accommodate. the adjustment; butif `the beam is of iron its rear end is curved downward and drawn out to a bolt, which passes through the plate L loosely-,'so as to-permit the adjustments of the beam and receives a nut on the under side of the plate L.

I have described with particularity. and some minuteness the details of construction of the several parts, but do not mean thereby to be understood as restricting myself thereto, as departures may be made therefrom and my invention still used. It will also be understood that the frame may be applied to eitherV side of the beam, so as to make the cultivator Work either side of the row, the f parts being reversed to what they are shown to bein the accompanying drawings, and only such changes being made as will occur to the skilled mechanic -n changing. the cultivator .would be embraced in4m-y invention; v

for the purposes set forth.- n

2. The combined-strawberry-cultivator'and tooth will A`passunder- :the I runner'at points l-throw earth against the inturned runners to the purposes-set forth.

prising the beam provided with a`v Aseries of will in succession pass under the runners at posesset forth.

turned'alongsidethe row,"substantially as and for the purposes-set forth.

to work from one side tothe other, andV evenl -if duplicated-,so as to be on both-l sides,itI

points approaching nearer'to the row andthus lift and turn the lrunners-v from their outer ends by degrees inwardly to bring them alongside the row, substantially asand-for the pura' 4. Thecombined'strawberry-cultivatorand runnerself-turner, comprising'the frame made 1 in adj ustablesections, onesection being pro^ vided ,withV cultivatonteeth and the Votherwith' f plows, the teeth beingarranged'to pass .under i the runners in succession from front to rear' to gradually move the'runners from' their" outer ends .inwardly to bring their' length alongv the rows, andthe plows arrangedto' i throw-tl1e-earth against the runners when" Having describedr my invention 'and' set -v 1. The combined'strawberry-cultivaterand` -runner lself-turner,comprising the beam'andl v the 'frame located on one side-thereof'andl prov -vided with cultivatorteeth arranged to pass.` und-er the runners in successionfroin'front" torear to-lift and -turn the runnersalongsid'e the rows, and plows to throw'earth' again-st v the runners, vwhen turned, substantially asand runner self-turner, comprising the framepro-v-V vided with c'ultivatorteethset sothat the for ward tooth willV passl under and` turn the run:H ner toward the row, and the teeth backofsaid ro nearer the row and likewiseturnfthe same-toe 1 5 ward the row while the iplowsat the rear will protect the-sameylsubstantially as and for IIO 3. Thestra-Wberry-runner self^-turner com# teeth'set so that the teethv from front'tofrear 5. The combinedstrawberry-cultivaterand runner self-turner,comprisingthe frame made 1n adgustable sections, the front section provided With a series of curved teeth arranged to pass under the runners in succession to gradually move them from their outer ends inwardly to bring them lengthwise of the row, and the rear section provided with plows to throw earth against the runners when turned alongside the row, and With a tooth out of line with the plows and between them and the teeth to the front section, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combined straWberry-cultivator and runnerself-turner, comprising the frame made in sections hinged together, the plate to which said sections are adjustably connected to change their angle to the line of draft, the 15 same section back of said tooth, substantially zo as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ISAAC D. CARPENTER.

lVitnesses:

CHARLES H. PArroN, JACKSON N. BOND. 

